Watercolors by Judy Hummer at Bernardsville Library in August

Bernardsville Public Library is pleased to present an exhibition of transparent watercolors by Judy Hummer during the month of August. There will be an opening reception for the public on Thursday, August 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Ms. Hummer, who resides in Bridgewater, looks at each painting as an opportunity to challenge herself to deliver the viewer an unexpected point of view—a vision of beauty in subjects that may ordinarily be overlooked. She uses an array of transparent watercolor techniques which she describes as "an exciting medium with a mind of its own."

"I love experimenting with techniques that allow me to use watercolor to evoke emotions, environments and movement," she said, "I enjoy working with various painting surfaces, including 140 lb. cold press, yupo paper, clayboard and rice paper.

Her subject matter is quite diverse, including urban, landscape, florals and water scenes--whatever excites her at a particular moment, whether it is a dramatic sky just before a storm rolls in, or people walking down a city street in the afternoon light. She usually takes photographs as reference and then completes the work in her studio. By working on a variety of subjects and utilizing various techniques, she aims to convey a spontaneous, energized feel rather than focusing on a single, labored, repetitious subject. This approach allows her to expand her areas of inspiration and explore her creativity. "I especially enjoy preserving the white of the paper, then applying layers of color and texture, sometimes preserving more areas as I go along. My hand tends to splash on loose applications of pigment and sharpen details as the painting progresses. Then, near the end, the most exciting part is when I reveal all of those preserved areas. Then I enjoy the surprise and satisfaction of the resulting image and understand how it all fits together into a cohesive painting."

Ms. Hummer has had a lifelong passion for art and was introduced to watercolor as a teen by Ruth Wilson under whom she studied for quite some time. She finds watercolor the most challenging, rewarding, spontaneous medium with which to work.

This exhibition will be on view in the library’s Community Room from August 2 through August 27 during regular library hours unless a meeting is in progress. For further information, please call the library at 908-766-0118.